Medical Advocay Advisor (MAA) , Kenya

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, sex, religion, creed or political affiliation.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by 23 sections and offices worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by 41 field teams and 20 mission coordination teams and organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens, Nairobi and Buenos Aires. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE AND JOB ENVIROMENT

As highlighted in MSF OCBA’s strategic Plan for 2014-2017, together with effective medical action, we would like to maximise our transformation potential (the capacity to change, or contribute to bringing about changes that improve the medical status and the humanitarian condition of the populations we work with/for) through complementary advocacy and engagement strategies. Our ambitions range from bringing other agencies to a specific context/issue, to contributing to changes at policy level, and they will all constitute an intrinsic building block of our medical humanitarian programming.

In OCBA’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, decentralization plays a key role in achieving advocacy objectives. The Nairobi Unit, based in a humanitarian hub, has been tasked by the movement to lead advocacy initiatives in the region, along with engaging regularly with medical humanitarian platforms. The MAA will support this work while providing advocacy support to the Head of the Nairobi Unit (HNU).

The MAA is a member of the Nairobi team. S/he works works closely with the HNU, the medical department and the Access Campaign, which contributes to advocacy on medical topics for the MSF movement. Effective partnerships with medical coordinators and humanitarian affairs advisors are required.

The HAA reports hierarchically to the HNU and functionally to the Access Campaign Head of Regional and Francophone advocacy

The work of the MAA will include both support to MSF operations in key countries and thematic reflection/analysis/research.

The position requires frequent travel to the field (up to 40% of the time).

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

· Support the Nairobi Unit with background information and analysis on key medical actors’ activities and priorities in the East Africa Region through networking and participation in technical platforms (East African Community/AU NEPAD/WHO AFRO/Technical bodies/KEMRI/DNDi/ACDC, CSOs) and other global health regional bodies.

· Contribute actively to the Networking Database centralised by the HNU

· Develop medical advocacy frameworks and work plans for operations in general as well as for broader priorities defined by the medical department.

· Support in-country medical advocacy for operations in the region as well as in the broader OCBA’s operational portfolio

· Support Head of Nairobi Unit in representation, including specific advocacy on field and global identified issues

· Represent Access Campaign in the region, including specific advocacy on access issues and coordination on access advocacy with MSF sections operating in the region.

· Draft case studies describing country-level access barriers and MSF’s ongoing work. These case studies can be used to further bilateral advocacy at the mission level or to raise the profile of key access constraints in Access Campaign’s global medical advocacy, including but not limited to R&D and regulatory issues.

· Ability to research, analyze, and synthesize complex medical topics so as to write reports and high-level business correspondence, and effectively present information to internal and external audiences including senior government, NGO and UN officials.

· Ability to work independently, move projects from conceptual stages to launch, and handle multiple and often competing deadlines

· Analytical and strategic thinking skills and excellent verbal and written communications skills including ability to adapt style to suit a wide range of audiences

· Proven excellence in written English (published reports, position papers, etc)

· English and French.

· Other languages would be considered an asset (e.g. Arabic)

· IT skills (windows setting, office package).

· Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and to manage multiple tasks

Competences

· Commitment to MSF’s Principles

· Cross-cultural Awareness

· Behavioural Flexibility

· Strategic Vision

· Results and Quality Orientation

· Service Orientation

· Planning and Organising

· Initiative and Innovation

· Teamwork and Cooperation

· Leadership

· Security Awareness and Management

Others

· Excellent verbal and written communication, representation and training skills.

· Availability to travel frequently, either to the field or international meetings.

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